1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a wheel bumper block, and more particularly to a pinless wheel bumper block capable of being readily relocated and rearranged.
2. Description of the Related Art
Marine container shipping involves using standardized shipping containers to ship cargo. Shipping cargo in these standardized containers facilitates loading, unloading and storage at a port site. Once offloaded from a merchant vessel at the port site, the containers can be stored in terminals specifically laid out to temporarily house large quantities of these containers prior to distribution. The containers can be stored in the terminals in either of two ways. One way, is by stacking containers one on top of another and positioning these stacks of containers within the terminal. Such containers can be referred to as grounded containers. Alternatively, a container can be mounted onto wheeled semi-truck flatbeds or chassis and parked in individual parking stalls at the terminal. Such containers can be referred to as shipping or wheeled containers.
Because wheeled containers usually are not stacked, wheeled containers occupy more storage space than grounded containers. Thus, it is desirable to optimize limited storage area for wheeled containers by parking them close together, including, back-to-back and/or against walls, fences, or perimeters. To accurately position these wheeled containers as well as to avoid collision and damage, pinned wheel bumper blocks are generally used to delineate certain parking boundaries for wheeled containers. These bumper blocks are referred to as pinned wheel bumper blocks, because they have vertical pin holes adapted to receive steel rods or dowels that are either driven or drilled through the pin holes and into the underlying pavement. Generally, there is a clearance gap between the pin and the pin hole. To adequately secure the block and pin to each other, grout is added to the clearance gap of pin hole in the block. Without securing the pin in the block, the block and pin can become disengaged from one another when a backed-in wheeled container applies sufficient force to the block. Some conventional bumper blocks are also secured to the pavement using an adhesive to form a cementitious bond between the bottom of the concrete block and the pavement asphalt. Once the pinned blocks are installed in the desired pattern, typically at one end of the parking stalls, as shown for example in FIGS. 20 and 21, the wheeled container is backed into the parking stall until the wheels contact the pinned wheel bumpers, which indicates to the driver that the wheeled container is properly aligned. Because the wheel bumper is anchored to the ground by the above-described pins, it will remain in position, and not slide when contacted, bumped, or forced by the wheeled container.
These parking facilities, including terminals in marine container environments periodically require rearrangement to change the amount of space allocated between grounded container and wheeled container storage. Accommodating such changes may require rearrangement of an existing wheeled container parking configuration. Installing, removing and rearranging pinned wheel bumper blocks is labor intensive. When more grounded container space is needed, it is often necessary to remove pinned wheel bumper blocks from the pavement. When removing the blocks, the grouted pins are also removed from the underlying pavement structure. Thus, removing the blocks and pins damages the pavement structure and leaves holes in the surface, which can be hazardous and/or require repair. Furthermore, re-using the pinned wheel bumper block requires that the grouted pin be removed or extracted, which often can damage or destroy the block rendering it unusable. Additionally, although a compatible forklift can be used to transport the pinned wheel bumper blocks, because of the configuration of these blocks, as shown in FIGS. 17-19, the blocks cannot be easily stacked for transport or storage during periods of non-use. This further increases the time required to rearrange wheeled parking stalls and storage of the unused blocks can take-up valuable storage space. What is needed is a wheel bumper block that can be readily installed, rearranged without damaging the underlying pavement structure or the wheel bumper itself and easily stored in a limited space during periods of non-use. As illustrated in FIGS. 17-19, the pinned wheel bumper blocks typically are made of a precast, reinforced concrete block, 4 to 8 feet long, 12 inches wide, 7 inches high, and weigh approximately between 350 to 700 pounds. Because the pinned block is anchored to the ground by steel pins driven into the ground or underlying pavement and then grouted as described above, the block remains in position, particularly when the force of the wheeled container is applied against it. Where a single row of wheeled parking stalls is placed, for example, against a fence or building, these pinned wheel bumper blocks protect the adjacent structure from damage by preventing the container chassis from being backed beyond the limits of the parking stall. Where two rows of wheeled parking stalls are placed back-to-back, these pinned wheel bumper blocks separate the two rows by preventing container chassis from being backed into one another, as shown in FIGS. 20 and 21. Thus, the pins are important to fixedly secure the blocks in position and prevent the block from moving, shifting and/or tipping.
Finally, when product including, but not limited to bumper blocks, is transported using a forklift, the forklift should be of the type that can accommodate the lifting and transporting of a given load. If a forklift cannot accommodate the load, i.e., it is an out-of-gage load, then the forklift can be referred to as incompatible forklift and under such circumstances, a different forklift should be used, that is, one that can accommodate the load, which can be referred to as a compatible forklift.
Having to use different forklifts can be problematic because a compatible forklift would have to be obtained. As a result, what also is needed is a forklift adapter, which would allow using an incompatible forklift to lift and transport an out-of-gage load, including but not limited to a wheel bumper block. Such a forklift adapter would convert an incompatible forklift to a compatible forklift.